How good are the unsullied?

[Darth Rivers]

Well duh. Training and tactics aren't everything. Actually, they're pretty irrelevant in a large scale war.

[Jayce]

Personally I think Gregor Clegane would cut swathes through them like Druss the Legend unleashing Snaga amongst the Nadir. For those who understand what I just said, I reckon these "boys" would not last two minutes against men like the Hound, Arthur Dayne, the Greatjon or Victarion Greyjoy.

But then, this is Martin's world, so if he wants them to be unbeatable, he will MAKE them unbeatable.

Lets use more of Gemmell's references. Have you read the Rigante books?

The invaders to the Rigante lands (can't remember their names) had so much discipline, cooperative fighting styles (and weapons, the short sword, for example), tactics and such (I lack the words to describe it properly, but if you have read it you should know what I mean) that relatively few of them could beat barbarian hordes 10 times their number.

I see the Unsullied as them. Match that against Dothraki, Knights, whatever and you have a bloodbath with few Unsullied casualties. Especially if the Unsullied take to wearing heavier armour without much loss of skill and more importantly discipline.

[Jayce]

Having said that it is true that a good opposing commander who uses the correct tactics/troops against them could defeat them. Isn't that true of any fighting force though?

[BigBucket]

Having said that it is true that a good opposing commander who uses the correct tactics/troops against them could defeat them. Isn't that true of any fighting force though?

Yep absolutely. It all depends on what you want to do I guess. As I said if you want a force to stand in front of your city walls and repel cavalry charges without breaking then you probably can't get much better. In typical Westerosi warfare they would provide a very solid core for your army, nothing fancy but something you can build around. In the vicious low-level type of warfare that is seen in the Riverlands they would be next to useless.

[Hear Us Roar]

At this point they are all legend and talk. I want to see them in open battle and dany has them on cop duty in Mereen.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

As others have suggested, they're a solid infantry force in conventional warfare. But put them in a guerilla situation or against a very shrewd strategist and watch them crumble. You can already see it happening in Meereen — for all their obedience and training, they're getting destroyed piecemeal by the Harpy. If the Meereenese can figure them out — you can't beat them all at once, so you have to take them out a few at a time in the shadows — a Randyll Tarly type should have them pegged pretty quickly.

[Warhammer]

A shield wall that refuses to bend.... Sounds like a great target for my new catapult.

To meet them in a "fair" battle would be to risk unnecessary losses. Surround them at a safe distance and you can use seige weapons to take them out, maybe even some wildfire for good measure.

Shields can't stop 1,000 pound rocks.

[chris999]

I think they are a very capable force. They remind me of the Romans, who were trained to fight as a group, which is the opposite of a knight, who goes off in battle on his own, killing everything with single combat skills.

I think the best thing about the unsullied is that they will not rape and pillage. Which means that after Dany conquers the seven kingdoms, the defeated will have a respect for dany, instead of hating her for raping their women and burning and destroying everything.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I think they are a very capable force. They remind me of the Romans, who were trained to fight as a group, which is the opposite of a knight, who goes off in battle on his own, killing everything with single combat skills.

I think the best thing about the unsullied is that they will not rape and pillage. Which means that after Dany conquers the seven kingdoms, the defeated will have a respect for dany, instead of hating her for raping their women and burning and destroying everything.

Jumping the gun aren't we.

[Hear Us Roar]

Plus they have no armour, that scene where Jorah fights that dothraki comes to mind.

[chris999]

Jumping the gun aren't we.

Eh, I think it is obvious, unless GRRM is a huge troll lol.

Remeber, I think she is AA too, so she pretty much has to go to Westeros if I am right.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Eh, I think it is obvious, unless GRRM is a huge troll lol.

Remeber, I think she is AA too, so she pretty much has to go to Westeros if I am right.

A lot of things that seem obvious never happen. Just saying.

And I agree that she's going to get to Westeros. Doesn't mean she's going to conquer it.

[chris999]

A lot of things that seem obvious never happen. Just saying.

And I agree that she's going to get to Westeros. Doesn't mean she's going to conquer it.

I think she will conquer the lower 6 kingdoms, because of her dragons. I see alot of Aegon the Conqueror in her. Almost history repeating itself, except that she will have a harder time with the North, instead of Dorne.

I dont think that that Stannis is going to bend the knee. He is too badass for that. lol.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I think she will conquer the lower 6 kingdoms, because of her dragons. I see alot of Aegon the Conqueror in her. Almost history repeating itself, except that she will have a harder time with the North, instead of Dorne.

Yeah, see, I don't think so. That's what people are expecting, which is why it probably won't happen. Lightning won't strike in the same way twice.

I dont think that that Stannis is going to bend the knee. He is too badass for that. lol.

This I agree with. B)

[Josephxoxo]

Lets use more of Gemmell's references. Have you read the Rigante books?

The invaders to the Rigante lands (can't remember their names) had so much discipline, cooperative fighting styles (and weapons, the short sword, for example), tactics and such (I lack the words to describe it properly, but if you have read it you should know what I mean) that relatively few of them could beat barbarian hordes 10 times their number.

I see the Unsullied as them. Match that against Dothraki, Knights, whatever and you have a bloodbath with few Unsullied casualties. Especially if the Unsullied take to wearing heavier armour without much loss of skill and more importantly discipline.

Knight's aren't barbarian hordes. I totally disagree. First of all they're trained in slave cities where they are taught absolute discipline but lack fighting skills in single combat because they are trained in slave cities. They aren't Bravosi or knights. They are meant with their backs against a city defending it from oncoming armies or defending a path with walls in either side. I don't even think they have archers. Match 10,000 Unsullied against 10,000 Knight's who have archers, calvary, and armor; and it won't go so well for the unsullied.

Now for the Dothraki. I believe that if marching in the open field the Dothraki can easily flank and slaughter the Unsullied. They have Bows to hit the Unsullied in the back when their shields are facing another way. And I don't think the Phalanx formation is meant to survive from four sides and the reality is most of the world isn't a city.

[TheDemonBear]

I see a few problems with dany using the unsullied in westeroes

1. The unsullied cant be replaced, and dany is wasting them policing meeran where they are being picked off by the sons of the harpy. With the yunkish catapulting bloody flux victims into meeran disease will likely diminish the unsullied as well.

2.Now that they are technically free, it is likely that discipline and unit cohesion will deteriorate.

3. They are eunuchs, and as a general rule will be weaker than the average westerosi

4. Little to no experience fighting knights or disciplined troops, so far we have only seen the unsullied fight the astapori slavers, yunkish, meerenese. The astapori slavers were caught by suprise, the yunkish leadership is a joke,credit for victory against the meerenese can be given more to jorah mormont, barristan selmy and dany's other sewer rats than to the unsullied fighting in open combat.

5. Poor leadership. So far dany's success can be attributed more to her enemies incompetence than her leadership. The only competent adviser she has is barristan selmy, although depending on how stubborn she is she may get jorah mormont back as well as gaining tyrion.

[Josephxoxo]

Man I didn't even think about the bodies that were thrown into the city. I thought they were thrown just to intimidate the slaves. I wish I knew how this bloody flux is transmitted. It seems it is transmitted through dirt and grime. Not one unsullied caught the disease from what I remember. And Unsullied always clean themselves. That's probably how the disease started in the first place because Astapor was a hellhole under siege.

[Balintos]

As long as they're in formation they're very good. But probably they're vulnerable to flanking. I don't think they can be used in Westeros on their own, but they can be a good core of an army.

[TheDemonBear]

Another nail in the unsullied's coffin will be if Barristan decides to split them up in order to stiffen the resolve of the other troops in the battle of Meeran like one of the Merranes generals requested.

[Darth Rivers]

A shield wall that refuses to bend.... Sounds like a great target for my new catapult.

To meet them in a "fair" battle would be to risk unnecessary losses. Surround them at a safe distance and you can use seige weapons to take them out, maybe even some wildfire for good measure.

Shields can't stop 1,000 pound rocks.

Catapults weren't used in open field battles, you muppet. You know what's the best weapon against unarmored, tightly packed infantry who only have relatively light shields? Crossbows. Lots of crossbows.

Also, skirmishers. And light cavalry. And pretty much everything else that doesn't come charging head long into their spearpoints.